In your campaigns do you use the psionics is different variant? I ask because in a “disney” darksun campaign I was playing in the DM used this rule which seemed to fit the feel of Athas, however, a rules lawyer of a player grasped onto the fact that some magic and psionic items and spells/ powers provide bonuses that are not specified, and used this to get some unbelievably high bonuses. So now in the campaign that I have just started running I am using the psionics and magic are the same variant in order to avoid such situations. I use the reasoning that Psionics is just another branch of arcane magic but it is powered by the individual, not the land

I use a complex theory of the interaction between psionics, arcane, elemental and nature. To sum it up: “None of them ever work together” being in a constant struggle for supremacy, but they can effect each other. A dispel works across the board, but things like enchant do not. No type of bonus stack (except for dodge or circumstance bonuses), they will always replace depending on level.

I agree with half of what Phoenix wrote. I think they should be different, as looking at history they were discovered and uncovered at different times in the past, however letting dispel magic work across the board seems to blur the line too much. As far as unnamed bonuses, if they are the same effect they shouldn’t stack.

It says to use the “Psionics is different” rule in the 3.5 Dark Sun rules, and I agree. A wizard is not a Psionist. Making them the same is like having a Cleric that could turn Goblins or fighter who could disable traps.

I try to make arcane magic seem rare in my campaign. My excuse for so many magic weapons being around is that they were mostly made for the cleansing wars.

The easiest excuse on the number of magic weapons is that they don’t break. Even if magic were really, really rare the production vs. destruction of magic weapons would lead to an extremely healthy supply of magic weapons. Add in other approaches like clerically blessed, masterworking, and psionic tempering and the world should just be crawling with +1 weapons.

The problem in Athas is that with the rarity of metal eventually a certain amount of swords will get turned into plowshares.

If you look close to the powers and spells they are not that different…there is considerable overlap…with Psionics….users can extend the effects, duration, targets.without needing Feats as a caster…the big difference is source of power…one is the mind others living things and others rely on the elements…so I agree..they are different entities but since Athas was devastated by magic and and is so screwed up…it is common for psionics to be more dominant….that is why in the old rules (AD&D 2ed) all PC’s had a chance of having a wild talent (in campaing doing 3.5 incorporate a lot of original rules)…now in 3.5 is a Feat. How the heck you make it a Feat when is something inherent within you. Either you are born with it or not.

Well, the simple and easy way would to use the “Psionics is different” variant, thus fitting the feel, but to have one bonus override the other bonus. Or to simply not have them stack. But don’t tell the player if this is the first time he’s used this power.
Because, when I played Dark Sun, we had a psion using the 3.0 psionics handbook (it works best for the psionic feel, not only with the mental combat, but also the fact that you could be a psion using any ability, since all have the will and can use the way). And he found some BS power that lets him lose X power points. And then boost the ability MODIFIER of one of his physical stats by X. This character is like a 30th level psion. He loses like 100 power points and then uses dissolution. The DM let it go, but made his life miserable by sending a psionkiller after him, he was drained of all his power points and all of his crystals that stored power points by the end- along with a lot of his hit points. So there are other ways to combat over-powered characters. Sounds like this guy was a one-trick pony. And it’s easy to make these guys struggle as much as the rest of the party.
But, I digress. I feel to match the feel of the setting, it should be different, but you should change most of that un-named bullshit so that players can’t become so uber powerful at such low levels. But if you want to let that fly, remember that in Dark Sun, no matter how powerful you are, there will always be something stronger than you.